1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a dust suppressing apparatus and more particularly to a bucket with an apparatus for suppressing dust and assisting in material processing.
2. State of the Art
The Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and many state governments have a desire to control the emissions that they deem harmful or hazardous to the general public. States have often found that dust emissions from construction sites are one of the emissions that need control. The EPA has established limits on the amount of dust emissions from any particular site and governs this by placing heavy fines on the construction company for violating the maximum dust emissions established by the state.
Accordingly, the construction industry, which has wide spread use of buckets such as excavator buckets and other equipment, have a great need to control the dust emissions on any particular construction site. The use of excavator buckets is particularly prevalent in pipeline, padding, grading, underground utility and all other types of construction that require the movement of earth materials. Workers are required to move large amounts of soil in order to accomplish the various jobs and duties on a construction site. The digging, cutting and material processing of the soil often times results in the emissions of dust.
Conventional devices for controlling dust emissions include the use of water trucks. These water trucks carry large tanks of water and include a spray device. The water trucks drive systematically around the construction site and spray it down with water. Often, there is a laborer that has the sole responsibility of spraying the water from the truck by use of a hose. The water spray serves to reduce the dust in the air and keeps dust emissions levels within the desired range established by the state.
These conventional devices have their drawbacks. The water truck is another piece of equipment and often times multiple pieces of equipment that a construction company must provide either by ownership or rental. The truck requires additional laborers, fuel additional vehicle emissions and costs. Further, the trucks utilize a large amount of water in order to keep the dust emissions within the established levels. The amount of water is large for several reasons. These reasons include, but are not limited to, having to control the dust further away from the source of creation, the spraying is controlled by a laborer and is more difficult to direct in the particular location it is needed, and the inefficient cycle of a water truck moving around construction site. Additional drawbacks include creating a safety hazard by having more laborers on the site and having a laborer out of the truck who physically is spraying the material being processed by an excavator for example. The laborer is in the way of harm.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of dust suppressing devices for an improved bucket with a dust suppression apparatus that provides benefits over the conventional devices, the benefits including, but not limited to reduction of cost, reduction of laborers, conservation of water, conservation of fuel, reduction of vehicle emissions, improved efficiency of dust suppression.